Sometimes there are perks to be considered a ‘food blogger’. I got a lunch invitation to go to Vintage India, a restaurant serving North Indian food at Dempsey Hill. I seldom, if ever, get such treats so I jumped at the opportunity. To be honest, I was prepared to eat rather bad food ‘cos why would a good restaurant need to invite a kuching kurak (that’s ‘small fry’ in Malay) blogger like me? But I was obviously not going to pick an argument about that. Heehee. I also took good friend monoceros with me. So on a lazy Tuesday afternoon, us two girls made our way to Dempsey Hill while the rest of our high-flying executive friends were busy battling the lunch crowds downtown. Honestly, I could – but I can’t – get used to this. :p


The interior of Vintage India looks very grand, perhaps a tad austere for day time. If you prefer something more private, you can request for a private room. It’s not really a room per se, but rather they separate you from the rest of the diners by drawing the curtains, which to me works just fine.


You can also dine alfresco but it’s not something I’d recommend on a hot and humid afternoon. I would imagine it would be pretty nice at night though. There are also nice couches to the right side of the area where you can sit around and have drinks.


The requisite papadum and dip to stimulate the palate. This was crispy and nice with a slight bitterness to it.


We were served two Indian mocktails which were extremely refreshing on a hot afternoon. The green drink was lemon juice with mint and the yellow drink was lemon juice with ginger. Monoceros and I liked the lemon juice with mint better as it had more zest and kick to it.


For starters, we each had a tiger prawn stuffed with crab meat, a lamb chop and a helping of salad. The tiger prawn with crab meat was delicious as was the lamb chop which was grilled to such perfection. It wasn’t overcooked and the mix of spices that was used to marinate it was very tasty.


Look at the lovely pink centre of the lamb!


Clockwise from left: Stuffed tomato curry, butter chicken, sea bream curry
The stuffed tomato curry was something I hadn’t had before. The stuffing was made up of other ingredients like chickpeas, potatoes and raisins. It was very tasty and was one of my favourite dishes of the spread. There was also butter chicken and sea bream curry. I thought the chicken was a little dry but really enjoyed the sea bream curry. The fish was cooked just right, so kudos to the chef for that. I think one of the litmus tests of any restaurant is to see how well fish is cooked. It’s all too easy to overcook fish so to be able to cook it just right shows a chef’s skill.


We also had saffron rice and lentils.


Tomato curry stuffing


Something I must always have when eating North Indian food is garlic naan!


I’d also recommend the mango lassi which was very rich and tasty. Drinking lassi is good for people who can’t take spicy food. Sugar actually helps to get rid of the burning sensation on the tongue.


I also tried the pistachio and saffron lassi. I’ve never had this flavour before and found it really interesting. The slight orange colour is due to the saffron. Pistachio nuts are blended into the yogurt as well as sprinkled on top of the drink. This has a lighter taste than the mango lassi and is probably a better accompaniment to the main meal as it’s not as overwhelming. Mango lassi can actually serve as a dessert for me.


Dessert came in the form of deep-fried cottage cheese with vanilla ice cream. I try – I really do – but for some reason I just can’t seem to like Indian desserts no matter where I go. I always find it too sweet for my liking and this one was no different. It’s just me. Really.


To end off what was a very long and filling lunch, we had Masala tea. The tea was very fragrant but by this time I was so stuffed that I couldn’t even stomach any fluids. Oh, I forgot to mention that Vintage India has an extensive wine list so wine lovers might want to give a couple of bottles a try.
Vintage India does serve up good food but I think what’s preventing the crowds from coming is its location. There was no lunch crowd at all. I guess North Indian fine dining is also a little heavy for lunch. But if you’re in the mood for Indian food, you might want to pop by for a visit.
Vintage India
10 Dempsey Road
#01-21 Dempsey Hill
Singapore 247700
Tel: 6471 3100